Published: 31 October 2013

The Government has approved 33 Special Grants for the exploration of energy minerals across the country to boost the extraction of resources that improve power generation.

Addressing stakeholders at a three day Ministry of Mines and Mining Development strategic workshop review in Bulawayo, chief mining commissioner Mr Fredson Mabhena said the Government had also recommended 50 other companies for approval while six applications were pending renewal.

He, however, declined to name the companies but the country has a number energy minerals envisaged to improve power generation.

The minerals include huge deposits of coal in Hwange and the Lowveld.

There is also a Methane Gas bed in the Lupane-Hwange area. One of the companies, Zambezi Gas Company, given a licence to mine the methane gas, has said the project had not taken off due to financial constraints.

Zambezi Gas chief executive officer Mr Thomas Nherera said they needed at least $60 million to mine the gas.

"We need at least $60 million to mine the methane gas. At the moment we are mining coal," he said.
- herald

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